{"id":73191,"date":"2022-06-14T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T20:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=73191"},"modified":"2022-06-14T09:17:53","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T23:17:53","slug":"australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

A small proof that Australians live in interesting times<\/a> (to borrow that apocryphal Chinese curse) is the interest directed at their country during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit.<\/p>\n

On his first trip as deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles ticked lots of boxes.<\/p>\n

In Singapore, he achieved meetings with his counterparts from China and France. Given the anger directed at Canberra recently by Beijing and Paris, both are definite ticks.<\/p>\n

Marles had \u2018a solid first hit-out,\u2019 observed one of the Australian wise owls at Shangri-La.<\/p>\n

Three weeks into government, Marles could freely brandish the \u2018new\u2019<\/a>\u2014\u2018new energy\u2019 and \u2018new era of engagement\u2019, promising to become \u2018a more engaged and responsive partner to our Pacific neighbours\u2019 and to \u2018revitalise our historically deep engagement in Southeast Asia\u2019. On climate change, \u2018Australia is back at the table as a responsible, sensible, thoughtful and purposeful actor.\u2019<\/p>\n

A new government can revel in its fleeting Wordsworth moment\u2014\u2018Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive\u2019<\/a>; indeed, that bliss line expressed an earlier interesting and revolutionary moment.<\/p>\n

Consider the ticked boxes.<\/p>\n

China. <\/strong>Ending a Chinese ban on ministerial contact that was in its third year, Marles had a one-hour meeting<\/a> with China\u2019s Defence Minister Wei Fenghe.<\/p>\n

Marles called it \u2018an important first step\u2019<\/a> that took place without any conditions: \u2018[W]hile there is a change of tone, there is absolutely no change in the substance of Australia’s national interests.\u2019<\/p>\n

In his Shangri-La speech<\/a>, Marles\u2019s description of how Australia would handle its \u2018complex\u2019 relationship with China was cited as a model by later speakers from Britain to Fiji:<\/p>\n

Australia values a productive relationship with China. China is not going anywhere. And we all need to live together and, hopefully, prosper together.<\/p>\n

China remains our largest trading partner. China\u2019s economic success is connected to that of our region.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s approach will be anchored in a resolve to safeguard our national interest and our support for regional security and stability based on rules.<\/p>\n

We will be steady and consistent, looking for avenues of cooperation where they exist while recognising China\u2019s growing power and the manner in which that is reshaping our region.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

United States. <\/strong>Interesting times make Australia even more interested and invested in the US role. The alliance had \u2018never been more important\u2019 to Australia, Marles said, and \u2018deep US engagement has never been more important to stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific\u2019.<\/p>\n

The speech<\/a> by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin devoted as much detail to AUKUS and the Quad as did Marles\u2019s. And Austin did the call-out at \u2018alarming\u2019 and \u2018unsafe\u2019 Chinese People\u2019s Liberation Army Navy\u2019s actions against Australian aircraft:<\/p>\n

In February, a PLA Navy ship directed a laser at an Australian P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, seriously endangering everyone onboard. And in the past few weeks, PLA fighters have conducted a series of dangerous intercepts of allied aircraft operating lawfully in the East China and the South China Seas. Now this should worry us all.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

France. <\/strong>Australia paying $835\u00a0million<\/a> to French shipbuilder Naval Group over the aborted submarine contract certainly turns the page. A new Australian government and a re-elected Macron government can proclaim a new chapter. The new French defence minister (in office almost the same number of days as Marles) used Shangri-La to greet his new Australian counterpart with a smile and to commit to rebuilding<\/a> the relationship.<\/p>\n

The Five Power Defence Arrangements. <\/strong>The five powers gathered for breakfast\u2014the defence ministers of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore plus the British high commissioner to Singapore. Now 51 years old, the FPDA is \u2018the grandfather of multilateral arrangements\u2019 in the region, according to Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.<\/p>\n

The FPDA is the durian pact<\/a>\u2014all about Singapore and Malaysia\u2014enjoying the strengths of its limitations. As a doctor, Ng has previously talked of how the FPDA keeps to its role (\u2018In medicine we call it a \u201cdose response\u201d\u2019<\/a>). At Shangri-La, Ng said the FPDA offered a model for the Quad because of the way it sticks to the three Rs: \u2018remit, relevance, reassurance\u2019.<\/p>\n

Marles said the FPDA has \u2018modern relevance\u2019<\/a>, but between old friends \u2018there is genuine warmth\u2019.<\/p>\n

On Marles\u2019s count, in Singapore he had meetings with 15 defence ministers and two prime ministers (Singapore and Japan). And then he got on the plane to go further north. Today he is in Japan<\/a>, again brandishing the choices and chances of the new.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A small proof that Australians live in interesting times (to borrow that apocryphal Chinese curse) is the interest directed at their country during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit. On his first trip as deputy prime …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":73196,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2212,1114,358,2397],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAustralia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A small proof that Australians live in interesting times (to borrow that apocryphal Chinese curse) is the interest directed at their country during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit. On his first trip as deputy prime ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-06-13T20:00:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-06-13T23:17:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Marles-and-Fenghe-Shangri-La.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"372\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Graeme Dobell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Graeme Dobell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\",\"name\":\"The Strategist\",\"description\":\"ASPI's analysis and commentary site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Marles-and-Fenghe-Shangri-La.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Marles-and-Fenghe-Shangri-La.jpg\",\"width\":620,\"height\":372},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/\",\"name\":\"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times | The Strategist\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-13T20:00:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-06-13T23:17:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f\",\"name\":\"Graeme Dobell\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Graeme Dobell\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/graeme-dobell\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times | The Strategist","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times | The Strategist","og_description":"A small proof that Australians live in interesting times (to borrow that apocryphal Chinese curse) is the interest directed at their country during the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit. On his first trip as deputy prime ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/","og_site_name":"The Strategist","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org","article_published_time":"2022-06-13T20:00:09+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-06-13T23:17:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":620,"height":372,"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Marles-and-Fenghe-Shangri-La.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Graeme Dobell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ASPI_org","twitter_site":"@ASPI_org","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Graeme Dobell","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/","name":"The Strategist","description":"ASPI's analysis and commentary site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Marles-and-Fenghe-Shangri-La.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Marles-and-Fenghe-Shangri-La.jpg","width":620,"height":372},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/","name":"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times | The Strategist","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2022-06-13T20:00:09+00:00","dateModified":"2022-06-13T23:17:53+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/australia-ticks-strategic-boxes-in-interesting-times\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Australia ticks strategic boxes in interesting times"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/ed3342cd61abc65c1532f3cc46bdf96f","name":"Graeme Dobell","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/dff56734d4df784248f63058b7b6900a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Graeme Dobell"},"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/graeme-dobell\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73191"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/79"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73191"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73202,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73191\/revisions\/73202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}